Rock n Roll Graffiti is a weekly column spotlighting engaging music personalities. The column stresses not only rock 'n' roll, but blues, jazz, country and folk. Stories feature a nostalgic look at Michigan's stars, local musicians and beloved rock legends, all from a personal, Upper Peninsula perspective. Music memories are recalled with an entertaining presentation of facts, a dash of opinion, and a bit of humor, all meant to bring a smile or nod of acknowledgment from the reader.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Dylan lets the music talk

The place: Memorial Gardens, Sault St. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The date: Aug. 25, 1992. The occasion: Music icon Bob Dylan is about to perform for an enthusiastic crowd, including my wife Sue and me, during "The Neverending Tour."

There's a growing buzz in the arena joined by a young man in the row behind us who was looking forward to seeing Dylan for the first time. Excited, he reeled-off his favorite Dylan songs and told us how much he admired his music hero.

The lights dimmed amid applause as Dylan's show opened with the traditional "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down," followed by "Pretty Peggy-O." The young fan behind us was quiet, yet restless.

After a low-key start, Dylan launched into his "All Along the Watchtower," using an arrangement perfected by Jimi Hendrix who had taken Dylan's song to No. 20 on the Billboard chart in 1968.

Then, as Dylan played his classics "Just Like a Woman," "She Belongs to Me," and "Simple Twist of Fate," the quiet fan began to holler for his favorite tunes.

Some lesser known performances followed, including "Silvio," "Little Moses," and "Boots of Spanish Leather." While the audience clearly loved Dylan's concert, the fan near us was becoming increasingly disgruntled and started to boo every new song.

Just why was the fan who was so looking forward to the show, now booing? It seems Dylan, with over 600 recordings in his repertoire, wasn't playing the songs the fan wanted to hear.

Dylan, who certainly wasn't aware of one discontented fan, played 18 songs that night in a concert that also included an acoustic set. He barely spoke to the audience, but everybody knows a Dylan show is about music, not conversation.

With 44 albums to his credit, Dylan has had an incalculable influence on modern music, but apparently he can't please everybody.

Less than two months after his Sault appearance Dylan was honored at a 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration at Madison Square Garden featuring some of his famous friends. The list of performers at the Oct. 16, 1992 show was impressive: John Mellencamp, Stevie Wonder, Lou Reed, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Johnny Winter, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Roger McGuinn, George Harrison and Tom Petty, among others.

They played some of Dylan's best known songs including "Like a Rolling Stone," "Rainy Day Women 12 &35," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," and dozens more. Dylan himself added "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" and closed the show with "Girl from the North Country."

He didn't say much during this show either. Kris Kristofferson did the narrating.

In fact, Dylan lets his songs speak for him. He has performed thousands of concerts since he first appeared in New York City from the north woods of Minnesota in 1961.

He's been at it for 45 years now, and even a chest infection in 1997 which required hospitalization hasn't slowed him down. The former Robert Zimmerman has continued to release new material and hits packages to the delight of fans and critics alike.

Unlike many celebrities, Dylan is not a publicity hound. In fact, whether published or broadcast, interviews with the intensely private 64-year-old star are rare.

Considering that, fans were surprised to learn that Dylan will perform deejay duties on satellite XM Radio, channel 40, beginning in March. He'll host a weekly hour-long program featuring music, commentary, interviews, as well as e-mails from subscribers.

Dylan's new endeavor might require some under-utilized conversational skills, or he might just let the music do the talking. Tune in. But, no booing, please.

U. P. Jukebox

About the music on this blog

Michigan's rock history concentrates on the southeastern part of the state, deservedly so. Although the Detroit area produced some great music in the 1960s, the Upper Peninsula's contribution to the rock 'n' roll revolution of the era shouldn't be discounted. Sure the U. P. is isolated and sparsely peopled, with only three percent of the state's population. But, the fact that no band based north of the Mackinac Bridge registered a Top 40 hit in the 1960s was due to a conspiracy of geography, not a lack of quality material. Groups from across the region issued strong 45 rpm singles in their attempts to gain greater recognition and national fame as the rock 'n' roll spirit pervaded the U. P.

There were the Excels and French Church from Marquette, Riot Squad and Prophets of Doom from Escanaba, Rob Kirk and the Word and Renaissance Fair from Sault Ste. Marie, the Henchmen VI and Vigilantes from tiny Ontonagon, Joey Gee and the Come-ons and the Ravelles from Iron Mountain. Menominee had the Benders, Alston had the Rhythm Rockers, Kingsford boasted the Lexington Project, Ironwood contributed Danny and the Galaxies and Houghton touted the Kinetics.

Today, most of these songs are quite hard to come by, but they unashamedly reflect the dreams and aspirations of the the U. P.'s younger generation all those years ago.

So, give a listen and decide for yourself which tunes could have been hits, if only...

Rock 'n' Roll Graffiti now a book!

The 300-page volume, which includes dozens of photographs, spotlights engaging music personalities, stressing not only rock, but blues, jazz, country and folk.

Seymour said the soft-cover book surveys the music scene with an "entertaining presentation of facts, a dash of opinion, and a bit of humor, all meant to bring a smile or nod of acknowledgement from the reader."

The writer assembled the book from weekly music columns he wrote which originally appeared in the "That's Entertainment" section of the Daily Press, published every Thursday, beginning in the summer of 2005.

The book takes a nostalgic look at Michigan's stars, local musicians and beloved international rock legends, all from a personal, Upper Peninsula perspective, Seymour noted.

Divided into seven parts, "Rock 'n' Roll Graffiti" contains many music-related stories about the local rock scene of the 60s and the U. P.'s contribution to music over the years. Not stopping there, the author also included thoughts on the many concerts he's seen as well as sections about the blues and the Beatles.

"People have been asking me to put these stories into a book for well over a year now. Virtually every week I've gotten so many great comments and emails. I finally took them seriously," he said.

The book was printed by Instantpublisher.com, the short-run publishing division of Funcraft Publishing Co., located in Collierville, Tenn.

"I hope folks have as much fun reading these stories as I've had writing them," he added. Seymour and his wife Sue own the Record Rack in downtown Escanaba.

Seymour commented: "I've enjoyed rock music and writing since I was a teenager in the 60s. I feel lucky to have been around when rock's greatest stars created their most enduring hits."

A graduate of Central Michigan University, Seymour worked for the Daily Press and Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress before going into the retail record business in 1985.

"Rock 'n' roll has always been integral to me and for the last 22 years I've been earning my living from it even though I don't have a musical bone in my body," Seymour noted.

Copies of "Rock 'n' Roll Graffiti" are available for $11.98 at the Record Rack, 1212 Ludington St., Escanaba, Michigan 49829 or through paypal ($11.98 plus $4.00 postage).

About me

I've enjoyed rock music and writing since I was a teenager in the 60s. I feel lucky to have been around when rock's greatest stars created their most enduring hits. At the same time I found I enjoyed writing, as well. I worked on my high school newspaper and magazine, was editor of several college publications and earned a bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University in 1973. I worked for the daily newspaper in my hometown after graduating, becoming managing editor after a few years. By the 1980s, I moved into public relations. In 1985, my wife Sue and I opened a retail music store, The Record Rack, which we still own. Rock 'n' roll has been integral to me and for the last 2O years I've been earning my living from it even though I don't have a musical bone in my body. In recent years, I've also I edited a small local magazine and launched a micro FM radio station. Now, I'm finally combining my love of writing and rock 'n' roll. I can't sing a note, but I know what I like. I'll tell you all about it when you read on. I hope you have as much enjoyment reading these installments as I've had writing them.